§ The House, on the motion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, resolved itself into a Committee of Supply.
§ Mr. Robert Wardrose for the purpose of moving the Estimates of the Navy. The hon. gent. then moved—"That it is the opinion of the Committee that the number of seamen to be employed for the year 1810, be 130,000 men, including 31,000 marines," which was agreed to. He next observed, that it was necessary to follow up this vote with the usual vote of wear and tear, which the Committee would recollect embraced the wages and victuals of the number of men voted. He had to observe, that the amount voted last year was 11,900,000l. but there would be a diminution this year to the amount of 1,000,000 and upwards. This reduction he accounted for upon two grounds; first, from a new regulation for keeping the public accounts; and secondly, from an actual diminution of expence. The first would consist in the transfer to the Army Estimates of that part of the charge for victualling garrisons upon foreign stations, and troops in transports, which had heretofore been included in the account for victualling the navy; and the second, in the total reduction of the sea fencibles. From this corps an expence had arisen to the country of about 200,000l. per annum: but, as the officers would be placed on half pay, the saving would be little more than half that sum. He proposed to move for the grant of 130,000 seamen, including 31,000 marines, for the service of the year 1810, at the rate of 1l. 15s. 6d. per man per month; which was less by 1s. 6d. a month than the grant of last year. But this difference formed the sum hitherto appropriated to the maintenance of the sea fencibles. Although moving for only 130,000 seamen, the hon. member felt it his duty to observe, that, according to the last returns, there were actually 143,000 men serving in the navy. This, no doubt, formed an excess beyond the vote of parliament, which, as soon as the admiralty were apprized of it, in December last, should have been immediately communicated to the House, if it had been then silting. Every man of common sense 251 must admit, that it was obviously impossible, from the distribution of our navy in various quarters of the world, and the means unavoidably resorted to for recruiting it, to guard against exceeding the vote of parliament, or even to secure a compliance with that vote. But the excess in this instance was so considerable, that it was intended to submit a distinct question to the consideration of the House, how that excess was to be disposed of and provided for: at present, he only moved for the usual vote, leaving the question open for future discussion, whether any, and what part of this excess should be retained? The policy of disbanding so large a body of men, without knowing the general state of the navy, appeared to require very serious and deliberate conderation. After some further remarks upon the new arrangement which he had described, relative to the separation of the naval and military accounts, the hon. member moved, "That the sum of 2,899,750l. be granted to his majesty, for the wages of the said 130,000 men, for thirteen lunar months, at the rate of 1l. 15s. 6d. per man per month." The motion was agreed to, as were also the following: "For victualling 130,000 seamen voted for 13 lunar months at the rate of 2l. 17s. 3d. per man per month, 3,932,625l.: for wear and tear of the Navy, 3,205,500l.: for Naval Ordnance, 591,500l.
The House then resumed, and the report was ordered to be received the next day.